feel good food that's good for you

Easy, decadent and perfect for dessert, these Chocolate Granola Pancakes are a Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday), or any day, treat. Easily adapted for gluten-free and dairy-free.

I have lived in the UK for many years, adapting my palate to my adopted island’s produce and serious love of global cuisines – the latter about the only good thing coming from its colonial past. Other than the rich and complex curries, one of the first things I appreciated here were the thin, crepe-like pancakes. It took me ages to get my head around producing these light, foldable pancakes: Getting them on the plate without tears (in both senses of the word) was quite a feat for a klutz like me. It took me slightly longer to appreciate the whole lemon and white sugar thing. No maple syrup. No side of eggs and bacon (which now seems seriously weird to me).

But what I realised was that outside of the hullabaloo of Shrove Tuesday, pancakes were a relative rarity. And not really for breakfast. You saw them on dessert menus (and still do), origami-like and served with Nutella. But no one seemed to make them at home. I think that has changed now, but pancakes are still seen as an American thing. And as I am American I feel I can have some authority – however unearned – on the subject.

Our pancakes are just that, cakes made in pans. But mostly they come from a mix these days. When I first moved here I brought popular brand Bisquik, thinning the batter down to approximate a British pancake. I am happy to say that I no longer have a box of Bisquik, preferring to make my own mix that I change according to how we wish to eat them.

Mostly I make savoury pancakes, wholesome ones made with chickpea flour, or yellow pea flour (Hodmedods is great for the latter), topping with seasonal spiralised veg, and maybe an egg. But when going for sweet they are for dessert or a decadent brunch. And this one is no different.

It is decadent. It is dessert. It is damn delicious too.

I have used a combination of nourishing buckwheat flour and light spelt flour, adding a touch of cocoa powder and a spot of melted butter for richness (well, if you are going for it, go for it!). Once mixed up I add a scoop of homemade malted granola and dollop into a medium-hot oiled pan until risen and golden. Then the fun begins! Bananas, more granola and chocolate chips (the good stuff please) get layered into the stack – it has to be a stack – and doused in best maple syrup. Basically all of the calories. 🙂

Normal nutritious service will resume next week. Until then, enjoy the temporarily off-message Food To Glow!

Dry whisk the dry ingredients in a large mixing jug. In another jug whisk the milk, egg and melted butter. Make a well in the flour mix and tip in the liquid mix. Mix until the flour just disappears, then fold in the granola.

Heat a scant amount of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, just a thin slick. Use an oiled piece of kitchen paper if you wish. Pour in enough batter to make two or three pancakes, according to the size of pan you have and the size of pancakes you wish to eat. Cook until bubbles dot the surface and the sides are starting to dry. Carefully flip, cooking until golden and cooked underneath. Care on with the remaining mix. Keep cooked pancakes warm in a low oven if you like.

Layer up the pancakes with the toppings/fillings and enjoy immediately. And you will!

33 thoughts on “American-style Chocolate and Granola Pancakes”

Oh I do love chocolate chips in pancakes, so you’ve won me over with this full on-chocolate pancake recipe! I make nut butter banana griddle cakes and have to admit I enjoy them for breakfast. 😉 Thanks for the occasional off-message posts Kellie. They’re fun!

These look utterly divine! I could just gobble these up now. I make pancakes for breakfast every morning…when my daughter was diagnosed with coeliac disease it was a way to fill her up (she was always hungry) and get some protein into her…otherwise she would devour 5 bowls of rice crispies! We never have pancakes therefore as a pudding…apart from on pancake day. So next week will be the exception and the kids will be allowed to put sweet treats on top!

I’ve always made them, but you are right we have a flurry on the run up to Shrove Tuesday then it slows down and we forget. I think to be honest we eat so many on the run up to Pancake Day we scunner ourselves and don’t want them again for a while. Your pancakes look wonderful. Thanks for sharing mine too.

We have lots of pancakes in our house – my husband being Canadian they are of the fluffy ‘American’ style rather than crepes. Although we love both! These look so delicious and I bet the granola adds a lovely texture.

Your pancakes look superb and so tempting. Scots would certainly not be serving pancakes at breakfast, far too decadent for John Knox’s bairns. However, pancakes were the first thing I ever baked/cooked, my Dad’s mum was not much of a baker but she made great pancakes and I would stand on a stool at the cooker pouring the batter onto the girdle. I’m pretty sure that American Pancakes travelled over the ocean from Scotland and morphed into breakfast with all the toppings in the land of plenty. My mother and mother-in-law both still make pancakes, I really only like them when they are homemade and still slightly warm, served with butter melting onto warm pancake 🙂

I'm Kellie, an ex-pat American cancer health educator with a taste for global food - and big flavours - made with fresh, seasonal British ingredients. Food To Glow is mainly 'plant-based', but you will find the occasional decadent treat - usually with a healthy tweak. Although I'm an omnivore, I speak fluent vegan: most of my non-vegan recipes will have vegan alternatives, as well as gluten-free and soft food diet options where appropriate. All recipes are tested out on family, friends and/or my cancer nutrition classes at the Maggies Cancer Caring Centres. You are very welcome to read, comment and share!

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